In currently used computing systems, a printer driver's initial or default settings are the same across applications. Some systems provide ways of customizing a set of settings into profiles, but current systems do not offer ways in which an administrator can flexibly control which settings and profiles are to be used by each user or by each category of users. Current systems also do not provide means by which administrators can be advised as to which settings or profiles might be beneficial toward achieving the administrator's goal, whether it be minimizing paper use by curtailing wasteful forms of printing, minimizing toner use, or minimizing wear to the printer components. The present invention arose out of the above perceived needs and concerns associated with methods of managing and profiles and printer driver settings, and presents efficient methods of managing settings and profiles involving conditional and selective locking and unlocking of settings, as well as profile generation by statistical tracking of use of printing features.